


memories (just memories of you)

by momobamiyuki



Category: Motherland: Fort Salem (TV)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, after they end the camarillas, canon time ig but in the future?, i beg u listen to memories of you by frank sinatra as u read this, its literally the softest of fluffs, soft, tallygail and watching the rain fall, they r in love and tahts like apparent to anyone beside them, they r such soulmates i love them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:48:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25135675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/momobamiyuki/pseuds/momobamiyuki
Summary: Your eyes go to the mirror opposite of you two, the view almost out of a dream. Your silhouettes against the grey sky, Tally’s hand warm in yours and only just a shadow on the mirror from the room with no lights on. Her white sweater contrasts with your blue one when your bodies come close again, a final dance, a final embrace.or: Tally and Abigail watch the rain fall and exist together
Relationships: Abigail Bellweather/Tally Craven, Raelle Collar/Scylla Ramshorn
Comments: 6
Kudos: 26





	memories (just memories of you)

**Author's Note:**

> oh boi this started only bcs it was raining on my summer house and i was waht IF tallygail did this,,, its soft and basically me trying my hand at "can i write a love story where u see they r in love without them needing to kiss??" tell me if i achieved my goal with these soulmates,, comments make my day ily and enjoy the read!!
> 
> IMPORTANT NOTE: please listen to memories of you by frank sinatra as you read for the full experience!!

Staring at the rain is your special tradition.

Back in Basics, you’d sit side by side on your bed, head leaned on your hands as you’d stare outside the window. It was a quiet day whenever you’d do it, Raelle either with Scylla or laying down beside you two, eyes closed and taking a nap.

Now it was one of the quiet days after the War, one of the days where even if you felt as if the shadows would jump on you, everything else felt safe. You had to take part in a military thing in New York, so you had no problem bringing Raelle, Scylla, and Tally to your apartment.

That’s how you found yourself falling back on your old tradition. The rain fell hard outside, clouding the windows in wet trails of raindrops, a fact that made Tally smile as she asked you to join her in watching which raindrop would win the imaginary race between two raindrop trails.

The wall opposite your bed is only windows, a fact that you take advantage of as you lay down on your stomachs in the bed, staring outside. You don’t talk much as you get the space ready, fluffing the pillows to lay your chin on, leaving the door half open. 

Raelle is in the living room, the TV low enough to have as background noise. Tally stares outside, meeting your eyes with enough warmth that you think is magical. She knows you to the core, knows when to leave you at your own peace to stare outside and when to speak.

“Do you think Rae has fallen asleep?” you ask, whispering even if there is no reason to. 

“She’s probably busy with Scylla,” replies Tally. “You know how both of them are. One moment talking  about life, the other busy kissing each other's faces off.”

You only roll your eyes, even if it’s been years ever since you were truly bothered by it. Raelle was your closest friend and you’d given up your life for her, letting her get some was the least of your worries. As long, however, as she did it far away from you.

“This is just like back in Basics.” Tally looks at you from the corner of her eyes, the room lit enough by the windows to let you see the sparkle in them. “Us looking at the rain and shitbird busy with necro. Next thing we know Anacostia will come and say we didn’t go to training today.”

Tally’s laugh is warm and you feel like you’re basking in the sun as you hear it. She’d always laugh at your jokes, even if you knew they weren’t that funny. It was what made Tally the golden hearted person that she was, the type of person who wouldn’t hesitate to sit with you in silence just to watch the rain fall.

“Goddess, that brings back memories. More than one. Do you remember that one time Scylla joined us, too?”

“Rae was so tense the entire time I thought she’d pop a blood vessel. So nervous and from who? Your ex you still love but are learning to trust again?”

You think that that’s a good enough reason, even if you love to jab fun at it from time to time. Tally only gives you a look you know too well, one that tells her she agrees even if she’s nice enough to not say it out loud. 

You settle more against the pillow, pushing to let your chin rest better on it as you hug it close. The rain keeps falling outside, creating a comfortable noise as it hits the rooftop and the windows. This is better than before, more space to move and a soft bed instead of the beds in their dorms.

Tally hums a tune under her breath, one that is similar to the song playing from the living room. You remember a time when she wouldn’t be able to stay without speaking for too long, as if she’d end up throwing hands with the silence if it lasted long. But now you found that Tally enjoyed the peace and quiet almost as much as you, a reminder that nothing bad was happening, that there was no other shoe ready to drop.

This situation is melancholic in a way, as familiar as it is different, you realize. There was no worry to always have your scourge at hand, no pressure to always try and be more to honor your last name, no Camarilla in the loose that your unit had to defeat. 

It was simply just you two existing, Tally and you and the rain.

“Abs,” she says, laying her face down on her side to stare at you. You nod your head, absentmindedly raising a hand to place a stray lock behind her ear. Tally always had such beautiful hair, you thought, red and fiery like the sun during the sunsets she’d drag you and Raelle to see every time the sun could be seen from the rooftop of their dorm.

“What’s up, Tal?”

“What are we going to do now?” She seems unsure as she asks, you didn’t miss the troubled look in her eyes. “The war is over, the Conscription isn’t anymore and we’re just… basically war heroes. Are we going to keep working with the army still? I never thought we’d come to the day where we could decide what we could do with our lives and the choices didn’t involve continuing to fight.”

You sigh, hand resting on her neck. It was something you did a lot, rest your hand there with your fingers touching the back of Tally’s skull and your thumb caressing her cheek. At first, you’d do it when you could see the clouds on Tally’s head appearing after one too many bloody missions. Now it was a sign of comfort, one you did without much thought.

“Remember what I told you back in Citydrop?”

Tally looks at you, puzzled at the sudden question. “I literally forgot most of what happened back then. The only thing I remember is our flight back to base and that we fought together and then the fight with Rae.”

You roll your eyes with a smile. “I reminded you of the same thing you told me back when I wanted to leave you and Raelle. We’re a Unit, remember? We will figure it out together.”

Tally lets out a small laugh, closing her eyes when you cup her cheek more. She’d remind you of a sunflower, basking on affection the same way the flower basked on the sunlight. It was charming to see, a way you would ground yourself. Sometimes knowing your actions had an effect on her made you remember you were human and not just a soldier.

“Unit unity, right? Pretty sure Rae will end up living on the beach with Scylla, though.”

“Who could have thought? Our shitbird has her shit in order and not us,” you tease and you realize that the sun really should retire because it doesn’t even hold a candle to the warmth Tally radiates as she laughs while punching your shoulder.

The laughs die down slowly and both of you simply lock eyes before looking outside the windows again. It still hasn’t stopped raining, this time gentler than before, letting you two see the skyscrapers and the occasional bird flying and resting on your balcony.

You find yourself drifting to the kind of sleep that’s more of you being awake than asleep, the TV’s noise a background lullaby together with the rain. Tally didn’t help, opting to rest closer to you and sharing your pillow, an arm thrown over your back carelessly.

“Oh my  _ goddess- _ ” You raise your head in surprise as Tally throws herself off the bed, running to the corner of your room. “You have a vinyl player?”

It rested on the corner beside the window, placed on an elegant wooden table that clashed in a good way with your mostly white room. Tally goes through your small stash of records with a grin and she takes one out, amazed in the most entertaining way possible. 

You get up when you notice how clueless she actually is, stepping behind her and grabbing her hands to show her how to place the record. It’s easy work, especially with how Tally lets you command her hands until you place the level down the disc.

_ Waking skies at sunrise _

_ Every sunset too _

You smile at the song, memories of late nights alone dreaming of a future with people you loved going through your mind. Tally stands by your side, your fingers barely a breath away until you turn to her.

“Why don’t we dance?” she asks and you have no choice but to say yes, lacing your fingers together as Tally pulls you towards the empty space close to the windows.

The rain is a perfect harmony to the song, your hand falling on the small of her back as hers wrap around your shoulders. Tally’s smile is gentle as she stares into your eyes, both of you swaying to the music.

“ _ Here and there, everywhere _ ,” you sing, enjoying Tally’s surprise, “ _ Scenes that we once knew.” _

You don’t really sing before people, mostly a thing you did in the shower to calm your vocal cords or warm them before class. But now, with Tally on your arms as you danced so close to the windows you felt like you were flying to heaven, your voice leading the path.

If you’d told your past self she’d enjoy something other than fighting and becoming more powerful, you were sure your past self would laugh on your face. You’d been young and drunk on wanting to be powerful and to prove yourself even if there was no need to, a soldier more than a girl.

Here with Tally, however, it’s different. You had learned what it meant to be human, how the army shouldn’t be your entire life and how to be just  _ Abigail _ , a powerful woman who knew when to rely on her unit, on her  _ family.  _ It had taken your Unit to teach you those, from Raelle’s rebellious streak that she understood was her being realistic to Tally’s warm words and support.

“You have a very nice voice,” she says, a whisper that you hear only because she’s leaning her chin on your shoulder. Her breath is warm on your ear, letting a shudder pass through you, only then reminding you of how cold the room was.

_ And they all just recall _

_ Memories of you _

The song was perfect for that moment, you decided. The rain pouring and Tally’s warmth letting the coldness of the room disappear from your skin, leaving place to only warmth and peace.

“Why of course I do,” you reply, your smirk as proud as it was teasing. “I’m a Bellweather, aren’t I? We always excel at everything we do.”

“Or because you’re Abigail,” says Tally, digging her chin on your shoulder hard enough for you to yelp. “I always forget just how confident you are.”

You chuckle, taking a step back and letting both of your hands drop. Tally understands you easily, especially when you raise a hand and let her do a spin. She does it easily, in a graceful way that reminds you of the times you would train while using your scourge.

“What did you mean back then?”

“Mm?” 

She comes on your arms easily, this time with enough space between you two that you could notice the specks of golden in her brown eyes. “At Citydrop. Remember? I held your hand and you told me you knew. Did you really know what I meant or were you trying to seem like the cool leader you are?”

You bite your lip in thought, hands resting on Tally’s back as they usually did when the two of you hugged, almost covering her entire lower back. The contact was appreciated, especially when you wanted to focus on your words.

_ How I wish I could forget those _

_ Those happy yesteryears _

_ That have left a rosary of tears _

“You kept Scylla’s… betrayal a secret,” you settle with. “Which as you remember had to do with Charvel’s death.”

Her death still remains a scar in your heart, the first time you  _ truly  _ saw what it meant to see death before your eyes and not just attend the funeral of your relative who died in the war. You still go to her grave every year, still leave flowers there.

“I knew you wanted to say you were sorry, the same way Rae wanted to do the same to you. And I just wanted to save you the trouble, you know?”

Tally nods her head, eyes moving to the player. The song still kept playing , and you knew it was near the end. But you didn’t want this moment to end, with Tally on your arms and Raelle safe and happy in the other room and with the rain falling behind your windows.

_ Your face beams in my dreams _

_ 'Spite of all I do _

“You truly do know me well, Abigail,” says Tally, only then turning to look at you again.

There’s a certain affection in her eyes and voice that you know is reserved only for you. It’s different from the look she gives Raelle, fond and full of love for her. You don’t really understand how it’s different but you just know it is. Maybe she’s rubbed her curiosity on you, the need to know each and every fact you could. But you still knew when to sometimes let something just exist in peace.

“Shitbird  _ did  _ tease us about having invented telepathy and not teaching her,” you say, teasing to get the weight of the moment to disappear. 

Tally, it seems, proves right to your words and only nods her head with a small smile, fingers tangling in your hair. You’d gotten used to how affectionate she was, knew she sometimes did it without thinking about it, simply a way to let you know she was there by your side.

“She’s just jealous Scylla hasn’t taught her how to do the palm thing too. Now that I think of it-“ Tally frowns in thoughts, pauses to lower her voice. “-even  _ we  _ don’t know how she does that. Do you think it’s some kind of secret Necro work?”

“Or maybe it’s outside of canon,” you reply easily. “Wouldn’t be surprising they have that in common too.”

She laughs and settles with that answer, humming the tune of the song under her breath. You know the song will end after a verse, know that this moment is magical in a way your Seeds will never be.

“ _ And your face beams in my dreams, ‘spite of all I do _ ,” you sing with a low voice, catching Tally’s attention again.

Tally doesn’t break eye contact, a thing you noticed only she did with you. Others wouldn’t be able to look at you for too long, and you knew well it was because of how intense you were. But Tally matched you step to step, the same way you harmonized perfectly when you did a Windstrike and the same way you matched each other’s movements in the dance.

You hear Raelle’s loud laugh from the living room, Scylla’s gentler one and you think of how much it took to be where you are at this moment. But then you remember you have to sing, know that judging by Tally’s proud look in her eyes, she was enjoying it.

“ _ Everything seems to bring- _ “ you continue, voice falling on a softer note as you spin Tally once again.

Your eyes go to the mirror opposite of you two, the view almost out of a dream. Your silhouettes against the grey sky, Tally’s hand warm in yours and only just a shadow on the mirror from the room with no lights on. Her white sweater contrasts with your blue one when your bodies come close again, a final dance, a final embrace.

“ _ Memories, just memories of you.” _

You end it with a smile, the song playing it’s final tune as you stare at Tally. She’s looking at you probably in the same way you’re staring at her, like you were the one who hung the stars in the sky. Tally always saw you as a hero, never as a Bellweather but just as  _ Abigail _ , the girl who risked her life to save her Unit and who placed them before her safe future. It felt special to be looked that way, to know someone loved you that much.

Others would find that kind of trust scary, a weight too heavy to hold. If there was one thing her mother taught her was important and sacred, it was someone’s trust in you. But unlike others, both of you knew you'd always pull through, always be the one to prove Tally right.

“That was  _ fun!”  _ says Tally, grinning and her hands pull you close by your shoulders, hugging you close.

You laugh against her shoulder, wrapping your arms around her waist easily and letting the girl hug you as much as she wants to. You and Raelle knew that if there was something you couldn’t stop, it was Tally’s hugs. However, both of you enjoyed how warm and how amazing her hugs were so who were you to complain?

“I’m glad we’re here today,” murmurs Tally, pulling back and cradling your face in her hands. Another thing she did a lot when she wanted to say something from her heart.

“Can’t say I disagree, Tal. Who wouldn’t be happy to be in this amazing apartment with me?”

She pinches your cheeks and shakes your head until you have to grab her wrists to make her stop. Tally was exactly as easily excited and up for fun as a puppy, a cute puppy who had too much energy and power on her hands.

“I’m being serious, as weird as that is.” Her dimples show, charming as they always were and you roll your eyes but keep silent, letting her talk.

“We passed… so much together as a Unit. I nearly lost both of you which was like I walked in hell myself. But we pulled through!” Her smile was infectious and you can feel your smile against her hands. “We worked together as a Unit and we are each other’s family now. We got into War College and Rae has found peace within herself and is with Scylla and-“

Her words falter, eyes moving to the hands holding your face. She was thinking, you could tell, but you also knew Tally didn’t have your ability to find the right words at the right moments all the time.

“And both of us aren’t planning our entire lives around the army anymore,” you decide to finish. Tally  smiles at you gratefully. “We all have changed, Tal, it’s why we’re here today. It took time and we all have scars from the war but- we’re here. Shitbird and her Necro and us two. So yeah, I guess I’m glad we managed to be here today.”

Tally nods her head and you don’t miss how she tears up at your words. She always did after every heartfelt speech of yours, unlike Raelle who’d only smile at you in understatement. Maybe your words always hit her more, because unlike Raelle you both  _ wanted  _ to be in the army. You because that’s how you were raised and Tally because she wanted to save people. Both of you had grown out of that, had opened your eyes to just how flawed the military actually was and that your life wasn’t supposed to be just fighting until you burned up.

A loud thunder snaps you out of your thoughts and Tally breaks the embrace to walk closer to the window. You watch her for a moment, her reflection on the glass letting you see her small smile and thoughtful expression. 

It takes two steps to be behind her, catching her eyes through the window as you look outside. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

“Why did you always join me in watching the storms?” she asks, still not turning to you, still looking at the rain.

You ponder the answer for a moment, eyes looking at three birds who’d taken to stand under your balcony. The three of them huddled close, protecting each other from the cold and the rain.

“To bond with you.” Tally stares at you when you step by her side, your hands clasped behind your back. “Rae and I would sometimes train together or eat dinner when you were asleep and we couldn’t catch a wink of sleep. It’s how we decided to try and get close, for the sake of the Unit at first.”

“But with you it was different. I didn’t have to worry you were suddenly going to focus on your girlfriend and miss training. We had similar views, similar wishes and goals in life. And when I saw you staring at the rain you reminded me of my younger self.”

“You used to do the same here?” she asks. You nod your head, humming a seed under your breath and enjoying how the raindrops on the window fall faster. 

“My mother would sometimes be busy with military stuff all day. When it was a storm one day I did what we’re doing now. Became a tradition of mine after it happened more than once.”

Tally’s hand raises to touch the glass, fingers following the raindrops with slow movements. You watch her do that for a while, until she turns to you again. “I’m glad you joined me back then, Abs. And well- now too, I guess,” says Tally.

You place your hand on her shoulder, as you’d done more than once and pat it once. “Anything for you, Tal. The least I can do for my Unit.”

“That’s weird coming from you, the same person who told Rae no when she asked you for a glass of water.”

You guess you weren’t the only one who’d changed because of the other. “Since when have you gotten such a sharp tongue, Corporal Craven? Did the respect for your trusted leader die on these sides?”

“Oh absolutely,” says Tally, laughter bubbling from her chest. “No respect here, no. We only tease until we end up fighting with our scourges.” You have no choice but to laugh too, both of you laughing until Raelle comes in and finds you sitting on the ground beside the windows with tears on your eyes.

“Ignoring this-“ she waves her hand to you two, “-whatever this is, Scyl is making dinner so if you want to join us to help that’ll be appreciated.”

You can’t help but tease her too. “Is she cooking our magical mushrooms? Be careful or Tal is going to end up wanting to try flying without Salva like last time.”

Tally hits your shoulder and can barely breathe through her laughing. Raelle only throws you the middle finger and laughs. “You two are idiots. Just come and help us because we know shit about where your stuff is.”

You decide to be the grown up and nod your head, Raelle leaving to let you calm down. Tally asks for your hand to get up, one you give and she pulls herself up by your side easily. She smiles and doesn’t release the hold on your hand. You do the same and simply thread your fingers together.

And for a moment you forget Raelle is waiting for you at the kitchen. Forget anything and everything beside the girl holding your hand with a smile, the girl who warms your heart and taught you what it meant to be human. Because Raelle could have opened your eyes to the mistakes of the army but it was Tally with her sweet tongue and backbone of steel that never hesitated to stand up to you who taught you when you were wrong and when to be gentle.

Tally had always been there by your side, in the same way Raelle was but yet different in a way you couldn’t exactly pinpoint. So you simply let it be, tightening your hold on her hand and reminding yourself of her promise.

_ I would follow you anywhere. _

“Let’s go?” you ask, with a gentle smile and staring at Tally’s glowing face, at how she copies your smile and nods her head.

There are a lot of things left unsaid, things that hang in the air the same way the stars hang in the sky, existing without having to be told and the same way you two know where you stand in each other’s life without saying it. And just like years ago, where you only needed to see her eyes and understand what she meant without her speaking, you understand her the same way.

“Anywhere you want,” says Tally and you only pull her towards the kitchen, let yourself lead the two of you.

It’s you and Tally, after all. The leader and the knower. Two girls with entwined souls and destinies.

  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> come spill the tea bout this fic at my twitter @thehopesaltzman


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